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Nature’s Blessings

If there is one book I wish I had written myself, because it expresses so exactly where I believe our souls are taking us at the moment, it is Claire Thompson’s Mindfulness and the Natural World.

The point of our lives

In it, Claire asks a question which to me represents the pith of everything we have all sought to realise spiritually in our lives:

What if the point of our lives were simply to live among all the beautiful life forms that have arisen in the natural world?

Heaven is not somewhere else

Words and thoughts like this give me a deeper sense of ‘rightness’ than anything else. That’s why these days I regard with some suspicion anybody – incarnate or discarnate – who wants to tell us that the ultimate purpose of our lives lies somewhere else than here, or that heaven is somewhere else than here. There is only here. And if we were all fully enlightened human beings, giving and receiving love, joy and harmony in a perpetual life-giving exchange with the natural world, then we would be able to experience all-that-is as heaven.
If at least we were able to turn our homes, gardens and allotments into as close an expression of heaven as possible – into spaces where we and all of nature are nurtured, that would already be a good start, and surely we would influence those around us? We often feel powerless, but this is a simple way in which we can create positive change in our own lives, as well as influencing our friends, colleagues and neighbours.

No regrets

As I write these words, tears are pouring down my face at the thought of how I and my fellow human beings have allowed our lives to be diverted from their true purpose – to be, as part of nature and in love with her. I know the sadness I am feeling is just my conditioned mind talking, because deep down I know for sure that the soul doesn’t have regrets about the past, for in this present moment the soul is capable of weaving everything that has happened into a perfect Now. So I am looking forward to a future in which my soul’s need to live in close harmony with nature is met. In fact, I know that on some level it is already being met now.

Coming home to ourselves

Sometimes we allow our true soul purpose to be encroached upon because we don’t think there is an alternative, and at other times we are diverted because something else seems more attractive, or we are actually hoodwinked. Now we need to make the choice to say ‘no’ wherever possible to all that encroaches upon nature, in our lives and our world, in so far as we possibly can (and if we reflect on it, we’ll realise that we are capable of going much closer than we have done until now towards a life more in harmony with nature). We can, at last, come home to ourselves, and home is here, now, in nature.
I don’t know exactly where this deep, pulling current in our lives will lead us, but now, for myself at least, I have decided to drop all the illusions that prevented me from surrendering to it. Maybe you will want to do the same?

Some experiments to try

Right now in our family, we are being guided to live much more in recognition of the fact that we – and all of nature – are bioelectrical beings, which can be affected adversely by certain unnatural electrical signals. For instance, we have been experimenting with turning off our wifi (we connect to the internet via wires instead), not having our mobile phones on all the time, and replacing our cordless phone with a traditional one. Once we started turning these things off, it certainly did make it easier to notice how these things were affecting us, so maybe if you try it, you might notice a difference too.
We’ve even experimented with turning the power off throughout our home during the night, so that our bodies can experience to some extent the irreplaceable peace which was afforded to all beings on Earth before the discovery of electricity. We slept like babes in the wood! Try it just once. You might notice an amazing difference the moment you turn the power off.

Embracing natural light

As a side effect of our new way of life, we are learning to embrace natural light more, surrendering to the dark of evening instead of trying to carry on working as if it was day. Lighting a candle perhaps, and maybe a fire, so that the beautiful light from these sources can feed our souls. I feel strongly that becoming more connected to natural lighting conditions (and of course taking a good Vitamin D supplement), and learning to appreciate and savour the cosy darkness and cold of autumn and winter will greatly help my mood and energy as the nights draw in, and I’m pretty certain this will help you too.
As we bring our minds, hearts and lives into closer harmony with nature, we will be able to centre ourselves in that deliciously warm feeling that – as Claire Thompson says in her book – nature is always there for us and we are never alone.
To help you bring your awareness back to nature and your part in it, and back to the deep joy you can always experience if you come home to yourself as part of nature, we have created our 2014 calendar (p. 5). May it help you to receive nature’s blessings, and to be more conscious of a wonderful fact: that you are a blessing too!

With all our love, Ann, Geoff and the Cygnus Team

Cygnus Code: 231111

NATURE’S BLESSINGS
by Cygnus Review Calendar 2014

Cygnus calendars are so beautifully and lovingly created that they are never for just one year alone, but a keepsake celebrating the passing seasons of our lives. The Nature’s Blessings calendar for 2014 offers twelve powerful photographs by Janet Baxter which unfailingly transport you right into the heart of the beauty, grandeur and poignant simplicity of Nature. Click here to buy.